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This Instant Pot potato soup is super rich, creamy, and comforting, made quick and easy in the Instant Pot. It’s loaded with bacon and cheese for a filling soup that the whole family will love, just like ours does!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- I meeeeaaannnnnnn…. it’s potato soup! Do I really need to wax poetic about this incredible bowl of cheesy, creamy, potato-y goodness? This recipe in particular doubles down on the creamy, with a whole cup of heavy cream and a healthy helping of sour cream. It’s so rich and smooth and everything a perfect potato soup should be.
- Instant Pot potato soup is MUCH, much faster than potato soup in the slow cooker, but just as easy and delicious! There’s a little sautéing and a little stirring, but all-in-all this dish doesn’t require much work at all.
- We don’t use any canned cream of anything soups here. Instead, this Instant Pot potato soup uses a handful of simple, pantry-or-fridge-staple ingredients for a healthier comfort food you can make any time.
Key Ingredients
Yukon Gold Potatoes – Russets, reds, and Yukon golds all work in potato soup. It just depends on the texture and taste you prefer! I love using Yukon gold potatoes because they’re tender and creamy and give the soup a wonderful consistency.
Heavy Cream – A touch of liquid, a dash of thick creaminess. Heavy cream gives the soup that delightful silky-smooth richness we all know and love. For a lighter option, swap out the heavy cream with half-and-half. You’ll lose a little of that thickness but it’ll still be great!
Sour Cream – Incorporating sour cream into the soup itself, rather than just dolloping a little on top, makes the soup even richer and creamier. It also gives it a nice little tang that I really enjoy. You could also use plain yogurt or Greek yogurt if you’d rather.
Never fear! Instant Pot potato soup is GREAT for leftovers, so add this to your meal prep list! It stores and reheats really well. Just let it cool completely first, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. It’ll keep up to 5 days.
For longer-term storage, make up a big batch of soup and freeze it instead! Same process – cool completely, airtight container, cold place. Frozen potato soup will keep up to 3 months, which is PERFECT for those cold winter days when you just want something easy and delicious and warm without much work. Just defrost the soup overnight in the fridge and reheat it on the stovetop. If it’s too thick, you can add a little cream or half-and-half to thin it out.
Chef’s Tips
- For a really super-smooth soup, skip the potato masher and use an immersion blender instead! You can leave as many chunks of potatoes as you like, or blend it completely smooth. Whatever you prefer!
- Dice the potatoes into evenly-sized chunks so they cook evenly and quickly. You don’t need to be precise since they’ll be mashed or puréed, but if they’re not roughly the same size, you’ll end up a mix of textures. You’ll also run the risk of the really large chunks not being completely cooked at the end of the cook time.
- Be sure to use a Quick Release – NOT a Natural Release. If you do a Natural Release, the potatoes will continue cooking and end up overcooked and mushy. A Quick Release lets all the pressure out immediately. Just be careful, that steam will be HOT.
Try These Instant Pot Recipes Next!
- Instant Pot Tom Kha Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Orange Chicken
- Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot French Onion Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Plate
- Small bowl
- whisk
- Potato masher
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon diced, uncooked
- 1 medium onion white or yellow, diced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled, minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes diced
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half, divided
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Optional Toppings
- crumbled bacon
- shredded cheese
- sliced green onions
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode. When pot is hot, add diced bacon and cook until crisp. Transfer cooked bacon to plate and set aside. Remove all but ¼ cup bacon grease from Instant Pot.
- Add onion to reserved ¼ cup bacon grease and sauté until onion is translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add diced potatoes and chicken stock to pot. Stir to mix, then secure lid on Instant Pot with vent in Sealing position. Set to Manual High Pressure for 8 minutes.
- While potatoes cook, add ¼ cup heavy cream and 3 tablespoons cornstarch to small bowl and whisk until smooth.
- After 8-minute cook time is up, carefully Quick Release pressure from pot and remove lid. Set Instant Pot back to Sauté mode.
- Using potato masher, mash potatoes to desired consistency. Pour in cornstarch slurry and remaining heavy cream, along with salt and pepper. Stir frequently and simmer until potato mixture has thickened, approximately 5 minutes.
- Once soup thickens, stir in shredded cheese, sour cream, and crisp bacon. Ladle soup into bowls and serve warm with desired toppings.
- For a really super-smooth soup, use an immersion blender instead of a potato masher.
- Dice the potatoes into evenly-sized chunks so they cook evenly and quickly.
- Be sure to use a Quick Release – NOT a Natural Release.
- Make it Lower Fat: Use half-and-half, reduced fat sour cream, and reduced fat cheddar cheese. You can also use turkey bacon instead of regular bacon, though it won’t produce as much grease.
- Make it Vegetarian: Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Skip the bacon and sauté the onion in a little neutral oil.
- Make it Gluten Free: Make sure your chicken stock and cornstarch are completely gluten free.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Everyone loved it! I’ll be making it again for sure!
We’re so glad everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing, Jess!
This recipe was exceptional!! My 9 year-old helped me make this and he loved it!
We’re so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing, Ruth! 😊